There is a need to analyze the concentration of a trace metal in a solution for quality control and drainage management in a factory for various treatment liquids or chemicals during a semiconductor manufacturing process. Additionally, the analysis of a trace element is required for environmental analysis of water quality control of a river or soil contamination. An analysis apparatus with inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) (hereinafter, referred to as an ICP analysis apparatus, in some cases), such as an inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry apparatus, or an analysis apparatus with microwave plasma (MP) (hereinafter, referred to as an MP analysis apparatus), such as an inductively-coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry apparatus, is used for the analysis of the trace element. The ICP analysis apparatus or the MP analysis apparatus is often installed in analysis facilities, such as a research institute or a laboratory. Typically, an analysis sample collected at a site, such as a factory, is delivered to the laboratory, and a trace element is analyzed.
In this manner, the element analysis with, for example, the ICP analysis apparatus, is not directly performed in the field generally, and the analysis sample is delivered through human hands causing a time lag occurs until an analysis result is acquired. Accordingly, even when abnormality is detected from the analysis result, feedback to the site, such as a production line, is delayed and defective products are manufactured during the delay, thereby raising a problem that a trouble cannot be completely prevented from occurring. Further, the analysis sample is collected through human hands, thereby limiting the frequency with which the analysis can be made and additionally may cause a problem in safety of an operator in some types of acid, alkali, or organic solvent used in the production line.
In consideration of the background, an analysis system capable of online transferring the analysis sample from the site to the ICP analysis apparatus or the MP analysis apparatus, is desired. Regarding this point, an online transferring unit that periodically or continuously samples a sample solution during a manufacturing process, is proposed for a liquid chromatograph spectrometry apparatus that is different from the ICP analysis apparatus in terms of device type, in Patent Document 1. The system is capable of omitting a large-scale driving mechanism due to installation of a flow path switching valve.
As described above, one analysis apparatus is ideally installed in each site in which an analysis sample is sampled, in a system that online transfers the analysis sample. However, the number of the ICP analysis apparatuses or MP analysis apparatuses that can be installed in one facility is limited, and introducing the analysis apparatus in a quantity equivalent to the number of sampling sites is difficult. This is because the ICP analysis apparatus is relatively a large precision equipment, an installing space or an air-conditioning environment is limited, a place in which the analysis apparatus can be installed is restrictive, and additionally an apparatus cost is expensive. In consideration of the above circumstances, an analysis system including the ICP analysis apparatus or the MP analysis apparatus preferably has a configuration in which one or a small number of the ICP analysis apparatuses can analyze analysis samples sampled from a plurality of sites.
Here, as illustrated in FIG. 1, an analysis system with, for example, the ICP analysis apparatus, typically atomizes a sample solution S in a liquid state with a nebulizer N, traps fog having a large particle diameter in a spray chamber C, introduces only an analysis sample having a small particle diameter in a fog state (an average particle diameter of approximately 5 μm) to a plasma torch P, and then provides the analysis sample for mass analysis or spectroscopic analysis. When the analysis system analyzes different samples collected at a plurality of sites, it can be thought that a sample solution to be supplied to the nebulizer is appropriately replaced with another (e.g., a supply tube is changed with another) as a simplest way. However, in this case, sufficiently cleaning the inside of each of the nebulizer and the spray chamber is necessary before one sample solution that has been analyzed is replaced with another sample solution. When the different analysis samples mix inside, for example, the spray chamber, an accurate analysis result is not acquired. When the samples are different from each other in liquidity, a deposit easily occurs (e.g., salt deposits when an acid solution and an alkali solution mix).
With respect to the cleaning for the inside of the spray chamber, Patent Document 2 discloses an analysis system including an introducing portion for a sample solution and an introducing portion for a cleaning liquid, coupled to one spray chamber. The system includes the two liquid introducing portions provided so that time necessary for cleaning the inside of the spray chamber can be reduced in analyzing at least two types of analysis samples.